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Photo Courtesy Participant Media, Higher Ground Productions, Netflix

Documentarian Steven Bognar '81, Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame '08, has captured some of the most significant cultural and economic changes in the Dayton area through his documentaries, and the film industry has taken notice. On January 25th, Bognar, along with his partner Julia Reichert, won the Directors Guild of America’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for their film, American Factory. 

Bognar and Reichert have used their craft to highlight the struggles and the injustices that working class citizens face every day, specifically in the greater Dayton area. American Factory follows the creation of the Fuyao Glass America plant in Moraine and weaves together the stories of both the American and Chinese employees and the challenges they face while trying to provide a secure, promising future for their families in a globalized economy.

Though this is the first time Bognar and Reichert have won the prestigious Directors Guild Award, this has not been the only accolade that their latest project has received thus far. American Factory was the debut release from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions’ partnership with Netflix this past fall. Bognar and Reichert will also be headed to the 92nd Annual Academy Awards as nominees in the Best Documentary Feature category. 

American Factory is currently available to be streamed on Netflix.  Be sure to watch for Bognar at the 92nd Academy Awards on February 9th at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.